Hundreds evacuated from path of wildfire in Canary Islands
Spanish authorities have evacuated about 500 people from the vicinity of a wildfire that has broken out on the island of La Palma, The Guardian reports.
The fire started in the early hours of Saturday morning in El Pinar de Puntagorda, a wooded area in the north-west of the island in the Canaries.
It is the first natural crisis on the island since a volcanic eruption in 2021 and comes as many parts of mainland Europe brace for extreme heat in the coming week.
The regional president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, said the blaze had destroyed at least 11 homes within the relatively small burnt zone of 140 hectares (345 acres). He said the number of evacuees could increase.
Spain’s army has deployed 150 of its firefighters to help local crews battle the blaze. More local firefighters are arriving on boats from the neighbouring island of Tenerife, according to Clavijo.
The fire is in wooded, hilly terrain dotted with homes. It is not an area that was directly affected by the 2021 volcano eruption.
